1. Presentation
Dissemination among the various road users of a culture of road citizenship in face of the bicycle, responsible behaviour in traffic, priority rules and protection of the most vulnerable users (pedestrians and cyclists).
2. Objectives
- Disseminating civic education on public roads and raising awareness for the protection of the most vulnerable road users (pedestrians and cyclists);
- Promoting safe conditions for cycling mobility;
- Improving drivers’ training;
- Promoting harmonious coexistence between the various users of public roads;
- Increasing public and institutional support for traffic safety measures;
- Improving the experience of living and cycling in the city.
3. Measure’s Importance
In starter cycling cities, one of the main barriers to cycling is not feeling safe to ride a bicycle in the city. In order to make people to commute more by bicycle, it is essential to create basic conditions that make cycling safe and respected. Most of cyclists’ safety problems relate to the fact that modern traffic systems are mostly defined from the car perspective, which, in order to change, requires both infrastructure and public education efforts. The dissemination of traffic and bicycle safety education, suitable for different target audiences (children, cyclists, pedestrians, drivers, professional drivers, passengers), will enable cyclists to travel safely and attract new cyclists through spreading a shared sense of road safety and citizenship.
1. Good Practices
– Evidence shows the importance of public education actions to focus on different target groups (pre-drivers taking driving license, drivers, professional drivers, cyclists, pedestrians, passengers).
– Actions must be implemented on a continuous basis aiming at the progressive and generalized reduction of accidents and ending public acceptance of risk behaviours (“Vision Zero”).
– Actions should be appealing to everyone (including drivers), notably through examples to which people relate.
– Professional drivers should be periodically trained with modules dedicated to pedestrian and cyclist safety.
– The involvement of community and local organization has a reinforcing and broadening effect on such actions.
– Public education actions and campaigns for road citizenship are more efficient if accompanied by enforcement measures.
– Monitor citizens’ adaptation to changes and reformulate measures to respond to users’ needs, without compromising sustainable ideals (See Management, monitoring and maintenance).
– Explain the principles behind the measures taken so that their need and functioning are clear (See Information).
2. Actions
 | Public education campaigns directed at different target-groups Campaigns covering cyclists’ rights, traffic education, respect for the priority rules (where the bicycle is equated with motor vehicles applying the priority-to-the-right rule), importance of respecting road speed limits, cycle safety guidelines. Learn more: The bike and the Highway Code in Portugal. |
 | Road Citizenship Training Civic education in schools and driving license training should include a specific component on road citizenship and the need to protect the most vulnerable road users. |
 | Guidelines and rules for coexistence zones (shared infrastructure) As conflicts often arise over the use of shared infrastructure by motorized and non-motorized modes, user behaviour and education guidelines should be provided, notably on speed limits, which mode has priority over others and, if necessary, establishing and enforcing regulations. These guidelines can be provided through posters, brochures, maps, or personal recommendations at selected points Learn more: by the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (UK) – www.rospa.com/road-safety/advice/pedal-cyclists/sharing-the-road-together-drivers-cyclists/; “Share the path” (USA) - http://sharethepathmarin.org/. Saber mais: Sharing the road together: drivers and cyclists by the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (UK); Share the path (USA). |
1. Impacts
 | Mobility system efficiency Public education for cycling contributes to the safety of the overall transport network, reducing accident rate and, thus, promoting less congestion and increasing the efficiency of the mobility system. |
 | Livable streets The promotion of road citizenship makes streets safer, more accessible and more comfortable for all users. Safer environments bring more people into the cities’ streets, promoting more livable streets. |
 | Protection of the environment The local environment is improved by the promotion of road citizenship. |
 | Inclusion, equity and accessibility Public education should reach all citizens, promoting inclusion, equity and accessibility. |
 | Safety and comfort These measures are at the cornerstone of cycle safety, promoting a behaviour change of various users (drivers, cyclists, pedestrians) and contributing directly to the reduction of accidents and injuries. |
 | Economic value No direct impacts. |
 | Awareness and acceptability Public education for cycling, focused on the different target-groups, is essential to raising awareness and breaking resistance to cycling, as it promotes citizenship of all road users and more bicycle-friendly environments. |
Legend:
 | Very positive |  | Positive |  | Neutral |  | Negative |  | Very negative |
2. Barriers
 | Legal There are no legal barriers to the provision of public education for cycling. |
 | Finance The implementation of most of the measures is relatively inexpensive; however, most of them should be carried out on a continuous basis, requiring constant funding. |
 | Governance Responsibility usually rests with one authority, though collaboration with the police may be needed, and eventually cycling associations and other interest groups. Some strategies on road citizenship may require police, planners and citizens to consider new approaches, implement new types of programmes and consider public roads from a person-centred perspective, prioritizing the most vulnerable users. |
 | Political acceptability Public education and road citizenship improvements usually receive broad political support. |
 | Public acceptability These measures are expected to be well accepted by the various groups in society. |
 | Technical feasibility Public education programmes do not offer technical barriers. |
Legend:
| No barrier |  | Minimum barrier | | Moderate barrier | | Significant barrier |
3. Budget
| Area | Measure | Unit | Cost | Implementation year |
| Seville, Andalusia (Spain) | Communication strategy | 3 years of activity | 60 000,00 € | 2007 |
Case study 1: Campaign “Make room for cyclists” – Victoria (Australia)
“Vision Zero” is a concept and ethical approach to make all roads safe, which refuses to accept that fatalities and serious injuries are inevitable consequences of road mobility. It was approved by the Swedish Parliament in 1997 and subsequently disseminated worldwide. It affirms that it cannot be ethically acceptable for someone to die or be seriously injured while traveling on the road system and states that responsibility is shared between road designers and road users. In this context, the state of Victoria, Australia, has developed the campaign “Make room for cyclists”, sensitizing motor vehicle drivers to slow down when approaching cyclists and always maintain a safe distance.
Learn more: www.towardszero.vic.gov.au/campaign/givethespace
Impact:
| Mobility system efficiency Public education for cycling contributes to the safety of the overall transport network, reducing accident rate and, thus, promoting less congestion and increasing the efficiency of the mobility system. |
| Livable streets The promotion of road citizenship makes streets safer, more accessible and more comfortable for all users. Safer environments bring more people into the cities’ streets, promoting more livable streets. |
| Protection of the environment The local environment is improved by the promotion of road citizenship. |
| Inclusion, equity and accessibility Public education should reach all citizens, promoting inclusion, equity and accessibility. |
| Safety and comfort These measures are at the cornerstone of cycle safety, promoting a behaviour change of various users (drivers, cyclists, pedestrians) and contributing directly to the reduction of accidents and injuries. |
| Economic value No direct impacts. |
| Awareness and acceptability Public education for cycling, focused on the different target-groups, is essential to raising awareness and breaking resistance to cycling, as it promotes citizenship of all road users and more bicycle-friendly environments. |
Legend:
| Very positive | | Positive | | Neutral | | Negative | | Very negative |
DGE. Direcção Geral da Educação (2012). Referencial de Educação Rodoviária para a Educação Pré-Escolar e o Ensino Básico. Accessed 2 July 2019. Available at: www.dge.mec.pt/referencial-de-educacao-rodoviaria-para-educacao-pre-escolar-e-o-ensino-basico
European Union (2019). Road Safety Observatory. Accessed 2 July 2019. Available at: ec.europa.eu/transport/road_safety/specialist/observatory_en
IMTT (2016). Guião para a educação rodoviária. Accessed 2 July 2019. Available at: www.imt-ip.pt/sites/IMTT/Portugues/Noticias/Documents/2016/Guião%20para%20a%20Educação%20Rodoviária.pdf
Marin (2019). Share the path. Accessed 2 July 2019. Available at: sharethepathmarin.org/
PRESTO. Promoting Cycling for Everyone as a Daily Transport Mode (2010). Cyclists and Pedestrians. 25 PRESTO Implementation Fact Sheets. Accessed 10 Janeiro 2019. Available at: ec.europa.eu/energy/intelligent/projects/sites/iee-projects/files/projects/documents/presto_fact_sheet_cyclists_and_pedestrians_en.pdf
ROSPA (2017). Sharing the Road Together: Drivers and Cyclists. Birmingham: Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents. Accessed 2 July 2019. Available at: www.rospa.com/road-safety/advice/pedal-cyclists/sharing-the-road-together-drivers-cyclists/